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April Rinne

New Economy Advisor, Investor & Pathfinder

April Rinne is a global authority on the sharing economy, the digital economy and new tech-enabled business models. Her areas of expertise include policy reform, global expansion, future of work, future of travel, cities, and emerging markets. She is a trusted adviser to numerous startups, companies, and governments worldwide.

Within the future of work, April has focused on how the world of work is changing and the new universe of opportunities that new technologies open up for people to earn income. While much of her work to date has focused on the rise of freelancers, independent workers and self-employed, she also advises on the rise of global citizenship, digital nomads and talent mobility. This is helped by her own globetrotting — April has traveled to 95 countries (to date) and has work experience in >50 countries on six continents.

The fine print:
World Economic Forum: Young Global Leader; Head, Sharing Economy Working Group; Member, Global Futures Council on the Future of Mobility; Member, Urbanization Advisory Board.
Member, China National Sharing Economy Committee. Member of the Sharing Economy Advisory Boards of Seoul (South Korea), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), SEDK (Denmark), and the National League of Cities (USA).
Formerly: Chief Strategy Officer, Collaborative Lab; private lawyer focusing on international finance and impact investing. Advisor to numerous social enterprises and microfinance institutions. Adjunct faculty, International Development Law Organization.
Education: JD, Harvard Law School; MA in International Finance, The Fletcher School; BA summa cum laude in International Relations, Emory University.

Related Video Conversations

How can we better prepare everyone from teens to Millennials for a more decentralized and increasingly independent future of work? The skills needed to thrive in the 21st century workforce are substantively different than those needed in the 20th century, as we shift to a more digital, entrepreneurial and flexible society. Yet both educational institutions and workforce development programs have largely failed to keep pace with these changes. By 2027, more than half of all U.S. workers are expected to be self-employed.

In the United States and around the world, public policy is increasingly outdated for today’s workplace realities. In the face of a federal government often paralyzed by partisanship and gridlock, it’s time to start focusing on policy innovation at the local level, especially in cities. Given the seemingly endless list of problems that need fixing, where should an innovative mayor start?

April Rinne, a new economy advisor and investor who has traveled to 100 countries and worked in half of them in the field of economic development, sees the Internet as a great leveler. It lowers barriers to entry, Rinne explains, in terms of self-employment, starting a business, and applying to jobs.

Sharing economy expert and advisor April Rinne has traveled to almost 100 countries and worked in around 50 of them. “None define sharing the same way,” Rinne says, though she adds that the most general definition of the sharing economy involves sharing under-utilized assets, spaces, and skills.